EOM Offshore LLC will identify and develop strategies for retiring the highest risks for successful development of a low cost, effective PAM technology useable on glider UUVs. Best technologies for sensors, platforms, and software (e.g., detectors and classifiers, localization, and data handling in general) to address the major design criteria for a UUV-based PAM system will be identified. This work will rely on a project team that includes a major manufacturer and developer of glider UUVs, and a state-of-the-art hydrophone system manufacturer and integrator, all of whom have worked together in the past. Once identified, a cost-benefit analysis of the various technologies will be performed, to select the most appropriate mix for a cost-effective PAM solution. The cost-benefit analysis will inform a recommendation for a concrete path forward for the Phase II prototype, to collect a broad spectrum of ocean acoustic data that allows for large scale spatial and temporal research on ambient sounds of sound and biologics such as large marine mammals. During Phase I Option of this proposal, and based on client input, the final design criteria and specifications will be developed to enable Phase II to rapidly initiate prototype construction.
Benefit: The topic of marine mammal monitoring is timely in both military and commercial circles. Increased public attention to marine mammal mortality, and the role of industry in this activity, has led to tightened regulatory oversight. The present technology, once developed, would be applicable to a wide range of military and industrial activities. On the military side, test range monitoring is a natural beneficiary, as are other operational naval activities involving training activities. For the commercial side, the requirement is equally serious, as offshore oil and gas and offshore wind sectors are being held more accountable for potential impacts on marine mammals. Marine mammal monitoring is a clear dual-use activity that will see rapid commercialization.
Keywords: Glider/UUV operational monitoring, Glider/UUV operational monitoring, NEPA/MMPA/ESA, marine mammal monitoring, Marine Mammal localization, Marine Species Monitoring Program., Marine Mammal detection and classification, passive acoustic monitoring
